People Before Profit

Globalization's Dark Side: Redesigning a System That Has Failed Us

The issue of globalization-its promises, and more often, its shortcomings-commands worldwide attention. Recent events, from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 to the rise of anti-globalization movements and the deteriorating global economy, illuminate the dark side of globalization and underscore the urgent need to redesign its basic principles.

In People Before Profit, Charles Derber argues that for a safe and economically secure future, we must debunk the myths about our current form of corporate-led globalization and re-orient ourselves on a more democratic path. By challenging popular misconceptions, what Derber terms the "globalization mystique," he reveals a dynamic system that is constantly being invented and re-invented-and can be again.

Globalization does not have to be a "race to the bottom" where the poverty gap grows ever wider. In fact, Derber's hopeful and detailed vision of reform, including practical suggestions for every concerned citizen, shows that globalization has the potential to be an authentic agent of democracy, social justice, and economic stability. The challenges are great; the new globalization will require deep and difficult changes, as well as a new politics that shifts power away from the elite. But the seeds have already been planted and the new globalization is beginning to emerge.

In a moment rich with opportunity, People Before Profit is an essential contribution to the most important debate of our times, written in clear, straight-forward prose for everyone seeking a better world.